Art History and Visual Culture BA(Hons)

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Top reasons to choose this course

• Staff include academics who develop leading research as part of the Centre for Design History on the museums and heritage sector
• Opportunity to take a second-year placement 
• Access to internationally important collections including the Royal Pavilion and Museum’s collections of decorative art, world art and natural history and University of Brighton-held collections relating to design and screen history, and historic dress.
• At the end of your degree, you will exhibit your dissertation and accompanying poster in the annual graduate show

• As a university we offer excellent resources including the Design lab, a space housing our extensive collection of historic dress and textiles, the Design Archives, St Peters House Special Collection and Screen Archive South East
• Off-site study visits and hands-on sessions.
• Join a vibrant community, featuring visiting researchers and practitioners, reading groups, lectures and workshops
• The specialist course team have research expertise on the Middle East, North Africa, South and East Asia, North America and Britain

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Year 1

Our Art History and Visual Culture and Fashion and Design History students share some of their studies throughout their course including a shared first year so you'll explore modules with a wide group of students. From year 2 you'll be in a great position to specialise in your chosen subjects and to choose option modules to focus on the topics that interest you most.

In the first year you will learn about how the movement of people, images, materials and ideas has had a profound impact on the production, re-production and appropriation of art and visual culture. You will study the various ways in which artists and practitioners create works in relation to both the local and global context, improving our understanding of the social and cultural affairs of the time.

Most of your learning will take place in small groups. You will be introduced to essential study skills and tools and familiarise yourself with different types of assessments, including essays, presentations, displays, posters and group projects.

Modules

• Local and Global: Concepts and Ideas in Cross-cultural Histories of Art and Design

  This module introduces key concepts of creative encounters and exchanges across cultures in the history of art and design, fashion and visual culture. You will learn about the ways in which the movement of people, materials and ideas across geographies, spaces and periods have an impact on the production, reproduction and appropriation of art and design.

• Local and Global: Themes and Topics in Cross-cultural Histories of Art and Design

  This module builds on Local and Global: Concepts and Ideas in Cross Cultural Histories of Art and Design and introduces you to key themes and topics on global histories of art, design, fashion and visual culture. You'll explore debates on collecting, exhibitions and displays, and develop an understanding of colonial, postcolonial histories and theories through object and image studies.

• Art and Design History in Brighton: Places and Processes

  In this module you will explore aspects of Brighton and Hove that are significant to the history of art and design locally and in some cases more broadly, through the introduction of key sites, themes and resources, for example, the Royal Pavilion and Museums; the historical development of local identities in subcultures and sexualities and Brighton on film. The topics are complemented by a seminar series that will equip you with the skills and tools needed to study history of art and design at degree level.

• Material Matters

  Material Matters is an opportunity to explore the characteristics, histories and values associated with different types of materials that are used in the creation of studio-produced or manufactured objects. You will develop an appreciation of the qualities of different materials and the cultural and environmental implications of their use. You'll have an opportunity to focus on particular types of materials such as cotton in the creation of clothing; nitrate in the use of photography and film, and clay and porcelain in the production of domestic kitchenware. The module introduces the UN Sustainable Development Goal for Responsible Production and Consumption (SDG12)

• Artist, Designer and the Prosumer: Theories and Debates

  This module introduces concepts and trans-historical studies in art and design. You'll explore key historical and theoretical ideas and approaches in art, design, fashion and visual culture, such as: the relationship between the artist’s life and the artwork; art, craft, and activism; designer and modernity; postmodern portrait of the artist/designer; black identity; and the art historical myths of genius artist.

• Artist, Designer and the Prosumer: Approaches and Practices

  This module builds on Artist, Designer, and the Prosumer: Theories and Debates. You'll develop your understanding of key theories and debates through the detailed study of different approaches and practices in art and design. The topics cover key historical and contemporary practices and approaches in art, design, fashion and visual culture, such as: artist curator, cultures of craft, professionalisation, feminist art, DIY fashion, the photographer and the prosumer. Students will choose case studies to be explored in weekly workshops.

Our courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis in order to make sure that what you learn with us is relevant and that your course enables you to develop appropriate skills. When you apply to study with us, we will inform you of any new developments in your chosen programme through Student View.

Year 2 

In year 2 you will develop your core knowledge of art history, theory and visual culture through course specific modules, expanding your own specialist area of interest. You will also have the opportunity to choose from option modules, including a creative option. You will have the opportunity to spend the first semester of your second year at the University of Oslo.

In the second semester, your placement module will give you the chance of gaining professional experience in a museum, gallery or creative industries. Previous work placement destinations include: Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Design Archives, Worthing Museum, Ditchling Arts and Crafts Museum, Fabrica Contemporary Art Gallery, The Keep Archives, Phoenix Gallery. The University will cover your travel costs on public transport to your placement location.

During your Art History and Visual Culture degree you will go on field trips in and beyond Brighton to museums, heritage sites, art and culture centres, and picture archives. Social activities that are relevant to your course, such as film screenings, reading groups and creative circles, will also enhance your learning experience.

Modules

• Spaces and Bodies
• Gender and Sexuality in Art and Visual Culture
• Art, Visual Culture and Ecology
• Constructing Histories: Research Methods and Professional Practice in History of Art and Design

Options*

• Reconstruct, Recreate, Remake
• I Click Therefore I am: Self and Selfies  
• Understanding Exhibitions and Creating Displays
• Staging and Screening Fashion and Design
• Behind the Scenes: Arts and Heritage Placements

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Placements

The optional placement in year 2 enables you to work with artefacts in the context of an archive, museum or public collection and gain valuable, relevant experience.

You will work closely with professionals on focused tasks including curating, cataloguing, collections management, publications and other areas of cultural practice. 

The placement option module provides direct experience and insight into aspects of museum, gallery and archival working practices, deepening your understanding of cultural institutions.

It can also enable you to explore career options, make contacts and provide topics for final year research projects.

Sally Lawrence on her placement at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft

How was your placement arranged?
There was an option module which allowed students to undertake a placement and then reflect on this in the form of an essay, a log book and a presentation. Everything was arranged by tutors but we were consulted if travel was involved.

What kind of things did you get to do?
I spent time with several members of staff including the director, curator, general manager, communications manager and the volunteer coordinator. I was allowed to sit in on many meetings, including internal staff meetings, meetings with guest curators and possible event partners. I spent some time in the collection store learning about collection maintenance, storage and ethical disposal. I also helped to update and digitalise loan records. I spent a lot of time researching existing visitor types and exploring ways in which to boost visitor numbers, whilst also encouraging a more diverse range of people to visit the museum.

Did you enjoy it?
I found it to be a very enriching and pleasant experience. The staff were very welcoming, friendly and grateful for my help too.

Has it led to any other opportunities?
This real-world experience has enhanced my subsequent essays and presentations regarding museum practice. I chose to stay on as a volunteer and this allowed me access to private viewings, as well volunteer specific talks from guest curators.

What would you like to do when you graduate?
I have applied to stay on at Brighton to do the MA in Curating Collections and Heritage. After that I would like to go into curating. My placement certainly played a part in this decision.

Final year

The final year sees you execute projects as an independent researcher. You will carry out ambitious research projects, including your own dissertation, team projects and visual displays, which will be showcased in the high-profile Graduate Show. In these projects you will be closely supported by your tutors and peers. Also in your final year, you will delve into the advanced theories and debates surrounding art and visual culture.

Modules

• Art and Visual Culture in Communities
• Dissertation in History of Art and Design
• Communicating Research
• Professional Paths in Art and Design History

Options*

• Participation, Performance and Politics
• The Past in the Present: Vintage, Retro, Revival
• Fashion Contexts
• Contemporary Art and Design in Asia
• Making the Modern Home: Design, Domesticity and Discourse

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Meet the team

The University of Brighton was one of the founding institutions for research in design history and our teaching team are world authorities in areas including art, design and dress history and the culture of photography. These research interests inform their teaching.

Dr Ceren Özpınar, course leader

Dr Ceren Özpınar is a historian specialising in art, visual culture, historiography and exhibitions in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Her research focuses on the relationship between gender, identity and art since 1960 with a special focus on Turkey and the Middle East. She has taught in the areas of art and cultural history, critical studies, art management and visual culture since 2008. Read Ceren's full research profile.

Other staff who teach on the course include:

• Dr Eliza Tan
• Dr Harriet Atkinson
• Dr Lara Perry
• Dr Yunah Lee
• Dr Charlotte Nicklas
• Professor Annebella Pollen
• Dr Megha Rajguru.

Read a Q+A with Dr Eliza Tan about her career journey.

Lab facilities

Mithras House is home to all our School of Humanities and Social Science courses. It has a series of ‘labs’, which may be used for teaching on your course or in your independent research work.

Design lab
A space housing our extensive collection of historic dress and textiles, which are used in some teaching on our History of Art and Design courses. It has the space and equipment to work on textile projects. Displays created by students on these programmes are on view in the social spaces of the building.

Life lab
A comfortable space with lounge furniture intended for qualitative research with larger groups. Due to its relaxed layout and naturalistic environment, the space is suited to research using focus groups, research using observation-based methods and child research.

City lab
A space designed for collaborative student learning. It is used by students and staff involved in the university’s Global Challenges programme, our collective mission to contribute towards solutions to tackling the pressing issues facing our world.

Stats lab
A specialist workspace with computing equipment for statistical analysis and projects involving video and audio editing software. The lab is accessible as a study space to students on psychology courses. It is also available to students studying courses involving video and audio recording and editing, and contains eight soundproof booths.

VR and eye tracking lab
This lab is used for psychological research, eye-tracking and virtual reality research.

You will also benefit from: 

• world-classDesign Archives

• St Peters House Special Collection which contains rare, valuable, and delicate books, illustrated books, artist books and handmade items

• Screen Archive South East, a moving image archive.

In addition, the university has close relationships with local festivals and organisations such as Cinecity, the Brighton Photo Biennial, the Brighton Festival, Brighton Festival Fringe, Brighton Digital Festival, Fabrica and Lighthouse. These connections provide a range of opportunities for students. 

Student work 

View catalogues from previous years on Issuu.

Summer shows 2024

Course fees

Fee information for this course for 2025 entry will be updated here no later than December 2024.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2024–25.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Brighton Boost – cost of living help for our new undergrad students. Find out about how we can help with your study, accommodation or travel costs and more...
• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international undergraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• Read our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf) for more on University of Brighton tuition fees.

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